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What is a Preferred Stock?

Preferred stock are dividend-paying equity shares issued by corporations, which pays a dividend with a higher priority than common stock, but lacks the voting rights that come with common stock. Preferred stock is very similar to a bond, because it will often be issued to raise capital for projects, and dividends (or interest) are expected to be paid regularly by the issuing company, but it still experiences the appreciation (and depreciation) of equity shares. Continue reading...

What are Mid-Cap Mutual Funds?

Mid-cap mutual funds invest in medium-size companies. A middle capitalization mutual fund invests mostly in medium-size companies. While the definition of “medium-size company” varies, most professionals define it as a company with a market capitalization from $2 billion to $10 billion. Companies you may have heard of within this size range are Eaton Vance, Guess, and others. In general, mid cap companies are more volatile than large cap companies, and the choice of the right fund managers becomes more important. Continue reading...

What does “Buy the Dips” Mean?

“Buying the dips” is a bullish description of investing in stocks whose prices have gone down. We say this is a bullish sentiment because a bearish investor would be more likely to interpret the downturn as a sign of impending doom, or might prefer to play it safe. A “dip” can be loosely defined as a downtrend without much momentum or evidence to support a bearish outlook. Another way of interpreting a dip would be as an oversold condition, where investor sentiment has caused the price of a quality stock to fall. Bullish investors could maximize their gains in such a scenario by buying low and selling when the stock has recovered and pushed on to new highs. Technical analysis indicators such as Bollinger Bands can be used to identify favorable buying conditions. Continue reading...

What is Mutual Fund Classification According to Market Capitalization?

One way of classifying mutual funds is by the market capitalizations of the companies they invest in. Mutual funds can invest in stocks and bonds of foreign corporations, or corporations in the biotechnology industry, or with any other objective they may have. But one way to manage it is by size—to capture market exposure for companies of different sizes. The size of a company is defined by the amount of market capitalization it has, which is the number of shares outstanding multiplied by the share price. Some indexes and funds will adjust market cap rankings to give weight to “free float,” which is the amount of market capitalization that is freely trading, and is not held by other companies, governments, or founding families. Continue reading...

What are All-Cap Mutual Funds?

All-cap mutual funds invest in companies of all sizes. All-capitalization mutual funds invest in companies without a bias towards the capitalization of the company. In every mutual fund’s prospectus, the stated objective of the fund will be outlined, as well as the agreed-upon asset allocation guidelines. Deviation from these parameters can put fund managers in hot water with regulatory groups like the SEC. Continue reading...

What Else Should I Know About Stocks?

There are plenty of other things that you should know about stocks, which are hard to categorize. In this sub-topic, you will find a wide array of questions related to stocks. Frankly, we could not categorize every question within this sub-topic, but still feel that these questions are very important and arise with great frequency. Feel free to pursue this collection of useful and interesting articles. Continue reading...

What is IRS Publication 1244, Employee’s Daily Record of Tips and Report to Employer?

IRS Link to Publication — Found Here This publication contains both Form 4070A – Employee’s Daily Record of Tips, and Form 4070 – Employee’s report of Tips to Employer. It also gives detailed instructions for how to report tips, which generally includes any cash or credit card tips over $20 in a month. Publication 531 gives additional details about reporting tip income. Employees who earn tips over $20 a month must report them on Form 4070. At the end of the year, all tips, even those not reported due to being under $20, are to be reported on the individual’s 1040 for income tax. Continue reading...

What are Investment Ideas?

Many services today offer investment ideas to consumers, some through subscription services, some available on a public website. Almost none of it is meant to constitute investment advice, in the legally-defined sense, because investment advice is only to be given by a licensed professional with regard to the individual situation of each person. Investment ideas are published by websites and subscription services to educate and inform people about possible ways to make money investing. This might include tips on stocks, bonds, funds, options, real estate, collectibles, and so on. Continue reading...

What is an A-B Trust?

An A-B Trust is a plan which actually creates two trusts at the death of the first spouse, and is a strategy intended to avoid as much estate tax risk as possible. Each spouse has an estate tax exclusion amount of $5.45 Million, and laws have made unused exclusion amounts fully portable to the surviving spouse, but for our purposes here, most of the exemption will be used up. So a Bypass Trust will be created which uses some amount of the exclusion, and will take that money out of the estate of the surviving spouse. The spouse can still get some income from this trust and have some discretion and control of the principal amount, but cannot use the principal for themselves. Continue reading...

What is an Income Trust?

Income trusts are a type of company that has been structured to pass through all earnings to shareholders. A trust is a legal entity, that seeks to use assets in the best interest of beneficiaries. Some pooled investments are categorized as trusts, and they pass all income (and the tax implications) on to investors. Examples include a real estate investment trust (REIT), a royalty trust, a utility trust, or a business investment trust (also known as a master limited partnership, or MLP). Mutual funds can also fall into this category, but they are not necessarily designed just for income. Continue reading...

What is active money management?

Active management is when an investor or money manager attempts to outperform an index or benchmark, using tactical strategies. Many economists and financial professionals believe that the markets are efficient. This means that all available financial information has already been built into the prices of securities, and that you cannot outperform the market by making specific selections of stocks, timing the market, reallocating your assets regularly, following the advice of market pundits, or finding the best portfolio managers. Continue reading...

What are TIPS?

Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS) are coupon-paying treasuries issued by the US Government whose principal amount adjusts with inflation. When a consumer buys Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (TIPS), they experience a few benefits when compared to other investment options. One benefit is that the security is backed by the full faith and credit of the US Government. Another benefit is that the principal amount adjusts automatically for inflation with the Consumer Price Index. Continue reading...

What is an asset mix?

An asset mix is the blend of major asset classes in a portfolio, which should be constructed based on the risk tolerance, time horizon, and goals of the investor. A common example of an asset mix is the 70/30 stock-bond mix, where 70% of the assets are invested in stocks and 30% in bonds. “Mix” is one way of describing the asset allocation of a portfolio, but it also describes the practice of diversifying among asset classes. The core asset classes that most people consider are stocks, bonds, cash equivalents, real estate, and commodities. Continue reading...

What Is a Mid-Cap?

In the vast world of finance and investing, understanding the various categories of stocks and how they're tracked can be a crucial aspect of building a diversified portfolio. One of the key categories, often underutilized by investors, is mid-cap stocks. But what exactly is a mid-cap stock, and how can you track them? In this article, we'll explore the world of mid-cap stocks and the indexes designed to monitor them. Continue reading...

What does PIP mean?

A PIP is the standard smallest increment of change or precision at which a currency is quoted and tracked in Forex markets. One ‘PIP’ equals .0001 of the size of a lot of currency being exchanged, in terms of the counter currency. A PIP stands for Percentage in Point and is the integer which appears in the 10,000th place when quoting currency exchange rates. It is actually the same as a Basis Point, used in bond and equity markets, which is 1/100th of 1%. If we were exchanging GBP (British Pounds) for USD (US Dollars), in a Mini-lot of 10,000, one PIP would equal $1. Continue reading...

What is the right mix of assets for me?

Arriving at the appropriate asset allocation is not very easy to do by guesswork, so we’re here to help. There is no such thing as a mix of assets that is right for everyone. It depends on your age, employment situation, the size of your investment portfolio, your objectives, time horizon, risk tolerance, income requirement from your investment portfolio, tax bracket, and many other factors. Programs and algorithms can help you significantly when you plug some of these variables in, but it is still wise to apply some scrutiny and a human touch. Continue reading...

Best RIP Theme Stocks for Investment

The RIP industry, comprising operators of home health, hospice services, funeral homes, and manufacturers of memorial products and caskets, presents unique investment opportunities. In this article, we will delve into the RIP theme, its market dynamics, and highlight some of the top stocks worth considering in this sector. Continue reading...

3 Tips for Trading Stocks by AI

Unlock the secrets of successful stock trading with a blend of expert analysis and AI innovation. From the giants of technology to the pioneers in healthcare, delve into strategies that promise to transform your portfolio. Embrace the power of diversification, market analysis, and AI-driven trading to navigate the complexities of the financial markets with confidence and precision. Your journey to investment mastery begins here. Continue reading...

4 Tips for Fast, Effective Stock Analysis

Enhance your stock analysis process with these four crucial tips. Learn to identify trends, utilize AI tools, and make informed investment decisions swiftly and effectively Continue reading...

Is my portfolio diversified enough?

Diversification is intended to reduce the volatility of price movements in individual securities, but many people are not sure what proper diversification looks like. It depends. You should definitely have exposure to at least two asset classes: equities and bonds. Within each asset class, diversification is also important. In your equity portfolio, you should have exposure to stocks with various capitalizations (such as Large Cap, Mid Cap, and Small Cap), various geographical areas (such as the Europe), Developing Markets, and Emerging Markets. Continue reading...